Hope Harbor

If we put all of our emphasis on only one one thing our lives can be out of balance. We can lack stability and experience many ups and downs. When I was a child I was once (and thankfully only once) put on a teeter totter. I don't know if the person responsible for me at the time thought I might enjoy the opportunity to "participate" with other children, or if they embarked on an experiment to see what I could do. It was a terrifying experience. Since I have very poor trunk stability (it's difficult to keep myself upright), I was holding on for dear life. Also because I lack stength in my legs, I was completely at the mercy of the kid on the other end. The energy and zeal on one side of this playground equipment was not matched with comparable ability As the see-saw was propelled up and down by only one rider, it felt completely out of control. I was so grateful when someone observed my predicament and rescued me. I recently heard a preacher on the radio pre...

2 Corinthians 1:2-5 (New American Standard Bible) 2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4whocomforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. The things we experience in life can teach valuable lessons. Our endurance of circumstances can equip us to offer encouragement and support to others. A very dear friend of mine had surgery today. I am praying that she has a very speedy and excellent recovery. Recently my friend and I were discussing the procedure. A few years ago I had a similar operation. I told my friend that following the initial adjustment period, I had no regrets and the surgery proved to be beneficial. Also, I shar...

Safety belts are important. They can be life saving. Often when a passenger on a paratransit bus or in a friend's van, I nonchalantly neglect to use a safety belt. I presume that my wheelchair anchored by straps is sufficient precaution. This is incorrect. It is dangerous for me and others to not wear a seat belt in a moving vehicle. In a previous post, I told of a tragic accident in which my nephew was involved. He was a passemger in a car that careened into a deadly crash. Sadly, the young driver was ejected and died. In an instant of youthful impulse, my nephew's teenage friend drove off without buckling up. My nephew did the wise thing. He was compliant with existing laws and clicked his seat belt into place. Thankfully he sustained no injuries in that horrible collision. I have vowed now to always wear a safety belt. I am reminded of another belt which offers protection - the belt of truth. The apostle Paul elaborates on the armor of God which serves as a metaphor...

Lamentations 3:22-24 (New American Standard Bible) 22The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. 23They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. 24"The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I have hope in Him." I am so grateful that our good Heavenly Father is a God of second chances. In fact, His mercy and faithfulness is so great that each day offers the hope of a new start. My teenage nephew endured a traumatic experience this week. He and three friends were in a terrible automobile accident. Sadly, the youthful driver was thrown from the vehicle and died. The two other passengers sustained minor injuries. Amazingly my brother’s son was unharmed. When I heard the story of this horrible incident, I had a range of emotions. I felt sorrow for the loved ones of the young man who was tragically killed. I also had gratitude in my heart that my nephew remarkably survived without being hurt. In additio...

Sometimes it is difficult to find words to adequately express love. I once had a neighbor who told me a charming story of how she and her granddaughter would play the “I love you more because _________________” game. This good natured competition consisted of a contest of who could come up with the best description of the reason why one’s love was bigger than the other’s. My neighbor finally conceded that her darling granddaughter was the winner because she exuberantly proclaimed: “I love you more because I’ve loved you all of my life and you have loved me for only part of your life!” Regarding our relationship with God we would need to say that He has loved us all of our lives but we have loved him for only part of our lives. 1 John 4:19 (Amplified Bible) 19We love Him, because He first loved us. There are many wonderful attributes to God’s love: • It is everlasting and draws us near Jeremiah 31:3 (New American Standard Bible) 3The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying...

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (Amplified Bible) 16Therefore we do not become discouraged (utterly spiritless, exhausted, and wearied out through fear). Though our outer man is [progressively] decaying and wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day after day. 17For our light, momentary affliction (this slight distress of the passing hour) is ever more and more abundantly preparing and producing and achieving for us an everlasting weight of glory [beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparisons and all calculations, a vast and transcendent glory and blessedness never to cease!], 18Since we consider and look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are visible are temporal (brief and fleeting), but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting. Often when we compare our situation to the circumstances of others we can gain a new perspective. Our struggles might seem minor in contrast to the dif...

When we love someone it is a delight to our hearts to know that they know how much they are loved. It's a cause for heartache when the one who is dear to us doubts that we care. I have many cherished friends. I hope they know how much I value them.  I hope using my relationship with my dog as an example doesn't seem too trite, but I believe my fondness for Tanner may illustrate my point. Thoae who know me are aware of the fact that I have great affection for my canine companion. (Even those of you I have never met, if you have been a reader of my blog, you probably have surmised that I am happy to have Tanner in my life.) My wonderful dog is endeared to me not because he is so very handsome, though indeed he is. I love him not simply for the tasks he performs or because he behaves flawlessly (Tanner's conduct is not perfect.) My tender feelings for this loveable puppy are stirred partly because he is so winsome, but mostly because he is mine I've been told...

The tendency to forget things can cause problems. These lapses in memory most often create relatively minor inconveniences. However, failure to remember something important potentially results in significant difficulty and can even be downright dangerous. Forgetfulness led to a challenging episode in my life recently. I have a designated telephone which Tanner has been trained to retrieve. This task performed by my beloved service dog is crucial in the event of an emergency. In a scatterbrained moment I had forgotten to replace that phone on the base. I fell trying to get out of the shower. In desperation I told Tanner to get the phone. He ran for it but to my dismay returned without it. I repeated the command several times with the same result. I was frustrated and then realized the telephone was not where Tanner could get it. Poor Tanner… He started whimpering because he wanted to help but was confused. It took me over an hour to get myself "unstuck" and maneuver so I cou...

Psalm 119:130 (New American Standard Bible) 130The unfolding of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple. Human beings often have the inclination to make things more complicated than they need to be. We all have probably heard the stories about the guys who get lost and take longer to get to their destinations because they refuse to ask for directions. There are also numerous examples of hours of frustration spent trying to assemble items and then have them malfunction due to not following the instructions. If someone familiar with the area had been consulted, the trip could have gone more smoothly. Reading the step by step manual helps to put things together properly more easily. I have the tendency to fret at times and make things more complex than necessary. One example of my knack for compounding the difficulty of a situation is the struggle I’ve been having in writing for children. I have come to the realization that I have a great deal to learn about t...

God is very kind. He has an amazing way of demonstrating love and mercy. I received a lovely gift recently. A very dear friend found a couch and rescued it from being discarded. She retrieved this piece of furniture with me in mind. She knew I desperately needed a new couch. The sofa that had been in my living room for many years was a hand me down and had definitely seen better days. The passage of time, many visitors and also a couple of pets had left my old couch worn and sagging. I had often looked at it recentlywith the thought that I reallly needed to replace it. However, because I currently have limited finances, I did not know how that could be possible. So you can probably imagine my awe and amazement when I received the message from my friend letting me know that she had a couch to give to me if I wanted it. I'm not sure why the previous owner was getting rid of that couch. It is in very good condition. It looks nice, and, I am told, is quite comfo...